August 2024

Gala 2024, Grants in Action, Artist Demonstrations

View this email in your browser Join us for a Mediterranean evening among the ancient olive groves FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2024   CLICK HERE to order your Gala tickets! SONOMA PLEIN AIR GRANTS IN ACTION   Kenwood Elementary School 6th grade students  & the Shoe Design Challenge As a part of their arts education class, the 6th graders at Kenwood Elementary School were shown a video about Dominic Ciambrone, aka The Shoe Surgeon, a local Sonoma County sneaker designer who makes sneakers for celebrities that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. After viewing the video, their art teacher challenged the students to design a sneaker using their favorite candy as their inspiration for the color design of their sneaker.  Below are some examples of their design inspirations & the results.  A grant from the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation provided the various mediums, paints and brushes used to complete this very creative project.   Meet the renowned Artists coming to paint during the week of September 9-14  for 2024 Sonoma Plein Air Festival ! CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE 2024 ARTISTS PAGE!   Painting Demonstrations Sonoma Plein Air Art Show & Sale Saturday, September 14 - Sonoma Plaza Antwan Ramar of Orlando, FL will conduct the morning demonstration at 11AM.  The afternoon demonstration at 1PM will be led by Ryan Jensen of Eureka, CA. Make plans to attend one or both of these demonstrations to watch and learn from these 2 very talented plein air artists. We are so grateful that Antwan and Ryan are willing to share their expertise with our attendees.  In Remembrance of Camille Przewodek Renowned Plein Air Artist and Teacher who always looked for and captured the light. Recently, we lost a member of the Sonoma Plein Air artist family, Camille Przewodek; she passed away from a sudden onset of liver cancer at her home in Petaluma.  As she had been for many years, Camille was once again selected to participate in this year's Art Show & Sale and we will miss her greatly. Camille was a plein air artist in the tradition of Monet who sought to capture the quality of light on a subject as determined by time of day and weather conditions. As a teacher, she held workshops nationally, offered classes locally and developed an online distance learning program so students could continue their color study after workshops. Our deepest sympathy goes out to Camille's family and to her many friends across the country. BECOME A VOLUNTEER!   There will be a wide variety of volunteer opportunities at the Sonoma Plein Air Art Show & Sale at the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday September 14.  As a volunteer you will be participating in one of the most fun and beautiful fundraisers in Sonoma Valley.  You will meet nationally acclaimed talented artists, see glorious plein air paintings and tall to art enthusiasts from the Bay Area and beyond. Anyone interested can help! CLICK TO VOLUNTEER Copyright © 2024 Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you attended the Sonoma Plein Air Festival and/or requested to be added to our email list. Our mailing address is: Sonoma Plein Air Foundation 19201 Sonoma Highway, #321 Sonoma, CA 95476 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

July 2024

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View this email in your browser Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Awards Judy Vadasz Scholarship for Art Educator Certification  to MORGAN MOMSEN  Morgan, a teacher at El Verano Elementary School, is the first Recipient of the Judy Vadasz Scholarship. She is a Sonoma Valley High School graduate and 2013 recipient of the Lewis E. Cook III Scholarship in her senior year. Morgan fell in love with art and photography in high school and went on to pursue an undergraduate degree in Art and Design with a concentration in Photography. After working for a time in photography, Morgan discovered that “teaching is it for me” and went on to pursued a career in education. As the recipient of multiple subject credentials and 4 years as an elementary teacher, she plans to combine her passion for the arts with her love of teaching by obtaining certification to teach art to elementary school students.  Morgan has been described as a 'born educator' and the Foundation is very excited to recognize her with this scholarship.  About the Judy Vadasz Scholarship for Art Educator Certification: Early in 2024, the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation established the Judy Vadasz Scholarship in recognition of Judy's contributions to the Foundation as cofounder, board member and patron since 2004. The scholarship’s purpose is to help grow art education in our Valley with financial support for an art education certification for a Sonoma Valley elementary school teacher. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a teacher in the Sonoma Valley Unified School District who wants to become certified to teach art in grades K-5.  The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation's mission for the past 22 years has been to fund arts education for the children and youth of Sonoma Valley. The addition of this scholarship to our funding program is a direct response to the increasing need for elementary teachers certified to teach art classes and the decreasing financial support available to interested, qualified individuals. Meet Genevieve Smith 2024 recipient of the Lewis E. Cook III Scholarship Genevieve has found art to be an integral part of her life and since her sophomore year, film has become a new way for her to express her artistic side.  Participation in the Video Arts program at SVHS helped her immensely by providing education and tools she needed to make her vision appear on screen.  During her high school years, Genevieve created, directed, filmed and edited 3 short films that were selected for the Student Film Festival during the Sonoma International Film Festival. She also filmed the 2023 Red & White Ball and created a video for the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation’s website, which is still shown to people who want to learn about the Foundation. Genevieve says it is “…sentiments like this inspire me to create and share with others and I am excited to head to college as a Film and Digital Media major About the Cook Scholarship:  In 2011, Lewis and Susan Cook of Glen Ellen, CA created this scholarship in their son's memory in honor of his time spent at Sonoma Valley High School. Each year, a deserving senior from SVHS receives a monetary grant to help them in their pursuit of the arts in any form. The scholarship funds are granted by the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation. Meet the renowned Artists coming to paint during the week of September 9-14  for 2024 Sonoma Plein Air Festival ! Our jury-selected Artists arrive from around California and across the country to paint throughout the region—from Sonoma to San Francisco—for our annual Festival. The week culminates in an Art Show and Sale of their stunning results on Saturday, September 14th on the Sonoma Plaza. Art buyers support both the artists and art education in Sonoma Valley’s public schools and non-profits, as 40% of painting sales goes directly to fund grants for K-12 art programs and supplies. Our gratitude is boundless for our participating artists, their talents, and community supporters. CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE 2024 ARTISTS PAGE! AND DON'T FORGET THE GALA IS COMING! Watch our website for upcoming ticket information. The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation 2024 Bocce Team On a warm Saturday afternoon in June, 4 members of the Sonoma Plein Air board participated in the 2024 Art Escape Bocce Tournament at Depot Park to help raise funds for one of our long-standing partners in providing art and creativity development programs for the children and teens in Sonoma Valley.  The team consisted of Nancy Evers Kirwan, Pat Meier-Johnson, Cheryl Shimek and Barbara Wells (pictured above). While their bocce scores were not the highest and no prizes were won, it was a great opportunity to meet many other folks interested in supporting Art Escape and the art programs they offer.  A FUN time was had by all!  BECOME A VOLUNTEER!   There will be a wide variety of volunteer opportunities at the Sonoma Plein Air Art Show & Sale at the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday September 14.  As a volunteer you will be participating in one of the most fun and beautiful fundraisers in Sonoma Valley.  You will meet nationally acclaimed talented artists, see glorious plein air paintings and talk to art enthusiasts from the Bay Area and beyond. Anyone interested can help! CLICK TO VOLUNTEER Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? 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May 2024

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View this email in your browser (2023 Artists Choice Award by Geoffrey Allen) The 2024  Sonoma Plein Air Festival ARTISTS In early September, our 31 jury-selected Artists arrive from around the country to paint throughout the region from Sonoma Valley to the Sonoma Coast and down through Marin into San Francisco. Their week of creativity and painting 'en plein air' culminates in an Art Show and Sale of their stunning paintings on the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday, September 14th. Art buyers from around the area come to support both the artists and the art education programs available in Sonoma Valley's public schools and non-profits, as 40% of each painting's sales goes directly to fund grants for K-12 art programs and supplies.  We are so grateful to our participating artists, their talents and the Sonoma Valley community supporters.    WELCOME   GEOFF ALLEN, Encinitas, CA          RICHARD BOYER Salt Lake City, UT    ALLEN BROCKBANK, Centerville, UT   BILL CONE, Moraga, CA   STEVE CURRY, Ojai, CA                      PHILIPPE GANDIOL, Davis, CA   SCOTT HAMILL Scotts Valley, CA   DEBRA HUSE, Southern CA   RYAN JENSEN, Blue Lake, CA   PAUL KRATTER, Moraga, CA   RICHARD LINDENBERG, Novato, CA   SERGIO LOPEZ, Santa Rosa, CA   CAROLYN LORD, Livermore, CA   WAYNE McKENZIE, Truckee, CA    D.K. PALACEK Kaukauna, WI    ANTON PAVLENKO, Molalla, OR   CAMILLE PRZEWODEK, Petaluma, CA   CHUCK PYLE, Petaluma. CA   ANTWAN RAMAR Orlando, FL   DAVID SAVELLANO, Alameda, CA    BRIAN SINDLER, Northbrook, IL   LISA SKELLY, Balboa Island, CA    RICHARD SNEARY, Kansas City, MO   TOM SOLTESZ, Pt Reyes Station, CA    RANDALL STAUSS, San Rafael, CA    JEFF STEINER, Minneapolis, MN    BARBARA TAPP, Kensington, CA    KIM VANDERHOEK, Orange, CA   RICHIE VIOS, Austin, TX    KEITH WICKS, Sonoma, CA    DENNIS ZIEMIENSKI Glen Ellen, CA   Please visit our 2024 Artists Page at the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation website to see a painting by each of our wonderful artists, and links to their websites and Instagram to see more of their works. Volunteer on a committee or for an event, attend our Gala, Quick Draw or Art Show & Sale and have fun getting in on the act, supporting art education for the kids of Sonoma Valley! CLICK TO VOLUNTEER Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

April 2024

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View this email in your browser Mark your calendar & join us in Sonoma the week of September 9-14 for the  2024 Sonoma Plein Air Festival! For the 22nd year, the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation will welcome 30 nationally recognized artists to Sonoma for Festival week which includes Quick Draw on September 10 during the Farmers Market, our annual fundraising Gala on September 13 and culminates with our day long Art Show & Sale on the beautiful Sonoma Plaza. During the week, you will see the artists painting 'en plein air' all around Sonoma Valley as well as along the coast and even in San Francisco. The results of their creativity during the week will be available for sale at the Art Show & Sale on September 14.   And the best news is that these wonderful artists will donate 40% of the proceeds from the sale of their paintings to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation to support grant funding for K-12 art education programs, equipment and supplies for the children and youth of Sonoma Valley.    Volunteer on a committee or for an event, attend our Gala, Quick Draw or Art Show & Sale and have fun getting in on the act, supporting art education for the kids of Sonoma Valley! CLICK TO VOLUNTEER Sonoma Plein Air Grants in Action NOT TO BE MISSED Sonoma Valley High School's Annual Arts Show The annual Arts Show features students' work in the Visual Arts and the Industrial Arts.  The work will be on display Tuesday, April 30-May 2nd at SVHS Golton Hall.  Please visit the show after school on Tuesday from 3:00 to 4:30pm and Wednesday from 2:30-4:30pm.  The closing ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 2nd from 3-6:30pm.  Sonoma Plein Air Foundation's 2023-2024 grant to SVHS' visual arts programs provides a range of supplies to support the creative, artistic works on display at this show.  Supported by an SPAF Grant, the Arts Guild of Sonoma is exhibiting original works of art by local students from Altamira Middle School and Sonoma Valley High School.  The high school students, taught by Renate Kuprian, featured themes of their own choosing while the middle school students, taught by Cheryl Coldiron, created works depicting waterfalls, lakes and rivers in the Sierra Mountains.  All canvases are 8x10. (Note: selected works are available for purchase with proceeds going directly to the individual student artist.) The show is open till April 29th so stop by to view the works of these talented young people! Sassarini Elementary's Maker Room receives Award for Educational Innovation  Stephanie Jordan, Principal at Sassarini, recently informed us that the Maker Room program had been selected as the recipient of the Award for Educational Innovation in the Elementary Education category by Sonoma State University School of Education. The Maker Room program is taught by Dani Wroblewski and funded by a grant from the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation.  (Photo: Artistic table decorations created by students in the Maker Room for the 2023 Sonoma Plein Air Gala.) Nancy Pollock Sonoma Plein Air Foundation's STAR Volunteer The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board has nominated Nancy Pollock as their STAR Volunteer for 2024 and we will be celebrating her at the Sonoma Valley Star Volunteer Awards on April 28th.  Nancy has been an active, contributing member of Sonoma Plein Air Foundation's all volunteer Board for over 18 years. While she's worked on a variety of committees during that time, Nancy's leadership as committee chairperson for our annual fundraising Gala over the last 10 years produced multiple enjoyable and highly successful events including the celebration of our 20th Anniversary in 2022. Those fundraising successes supported the growth of Sonoma Plein Air's grant making to Sonoma Valley schools and non-profits for art education programs. Without her efforts, the Foundation could not have achieved its recent milestone – the awarding of over $2 million dollars in grants since 2002. In Remembrance:  Randall Sexton, Plein Air Artist & Teacher   Late last year, we lost a member of the Sonoma Plein Air family and a good friend of our co-founder Keith Wicks, artist and teacher Randall Sexton.  He participated in the Sonoma Plein Air Festival in past years and his works were enjoyed by many attendees. Randall left an incredible body of work including the one shown in the photo below. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and to his many friends across the country. Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

February 2024

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View this email in your browser Since our founding in 2002, Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has funded over $2 Million in art education grants for Sonoma Valley’s K-12 youth Achieving this milestone is THANKS to the generosity of Patrons, donors, art buyers and the participating professional artists that THE Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has successfully continued its grant making for the past 21 years. The grants are for art-related K-12 educational programs and needs. They are applied for by both public schools and community organizations in Sonoma Valley. Over the years, Sonoma Plein Air Foundation’s grant making has supported a range of activities and programs, from student murals & mosaic installations to 3D printers and camera equipment at the high school to afterschool art programs at Art Escape and Sonoma Community Center to student art shows at the Arts Guild and the SVMA. In addition, ongoing grant funding has provided the quality supplies needed to make art education an enriching & rewarding experience for students. MANY THANKS &  A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! (Heart Poster by students at Sassarini Elementary School; given to SPAF by Danielle Smith-Wroblewski, Maker Room Teacher.) 14 Grants Funded  for ​2023-2024 School Year Our 2023 Sonoma Plein Air Festival last September was a huge success!  With the over $175,000 raised, the Foundation has funded 14 grants for art education programs at many Sonoma Valley schools and through our community partners. We are pleased to announce the recipients of our 2023-2024 school year grants:   ADELLE HARRISON MIDDLE SCHOOL ALTIMIRA MIDDLE SCHOOL ART ESCAPE (includes programs for FLOWERY & EL VERANO SCHOOLS) ARTS GUILD OF SOMOMA BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SONOMA VALLEY CREEKSIDE HIGHSCHOOL KENWOOD SCHOOL/EDUCATION FOUNDATION LA LUZ CENTER SASSARINI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SONOMA CHARTER SCHOOL SONOMA COMMUNITY CENTER SONOMA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SONOMA VALLEY MUSEUM OF ART WOODLAND STAR CHARTER SCHOOL (For more information about individual grants, please visit Sonoma Plein Air's website.) (Examples of artwork created by students at Sonoma Valley High School's 2023 Spring Art Show with quality art supplies purchased with funds from Sonoma Plein Air grant.) Join us this year – we are busy planning for the next Sonoma Plein Air festival taking place the week of September 9-14, 2024. Volunteer on a committee or for an event, attend our Gala, Quick Draw or Art Show & Sale and have fun getting in on the act, supporting art education for the kids of Sonoma Valley! CLICK TO VOLUNTEER Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

July 2023

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View this email in your browser This painting was originally created by Dennis Zieminski for a Lasseter Family Winery wine label. Join us for the 2023 Sonoma Plein Air Gala at the Justi Creek Railway Estate in Glen Ellen on Friday, September 15th.  Tickets are now on sale for the annual Sonoma Plein Air Gala - where you will see the "best of the best" art created by our 30 world-renowned artists, and have the opportunity to bid by silent auction to take your favorite home!  The gala location will stop you in your tracks...and the event will be emceed by The Singing Auctioneer, Ellen Toscano, with catering by Park Avenue Caterers.   GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! Meet Sid Chapin, 2023 recipient of the Lewis E. Cook III Scholarship Sid shared a lovely hand-crafted Thank You note along with few thoughts on what receiving this scholarship means to them: "Art and creativity as a whole has always been very important to me, and I am happy to be ever closer to achieving my dream of sharing my art and stories with the world. I am extremely grateful to have received this scholarship and will put it to use to pay for my tuition. I hope to make Sonoma and the whole valley proud of me as I continue my education and my passions, and I will always be looking for a way to properly repay the graciousness of the town that raised me." Sid will be attending Wheaton College in Massachusetts in the fall studying film and creative writing but plans to continue to pursue visual arts as well. About the Cook Scholarship:  In 2011, Lewis and Susan Cook of Glen Ellen, CA created this scholarship in their son's memory in honor of his time spent at Sonoma Valley High School. Each year, a deserving senior from SVHS receives a monetary grant to help them in their pursuit of the arts in any form. The scholarship funds are granted by the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation. Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley becomes a new grantee of Sonoma Plein Air Foundation This year Sonoma Plein Air Foundation provided a grant to help the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley (BGCSV) fund their robust summer camp programs. BGCSV has seven locations in Sonoma Valley where they provide exceptional youth development programs for kids between the ages of 6 - 18. They currently serve over 1,800 youth annually.  CLICK TO VOLUNTEER Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

April 2023

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View this email in your browser Our 2022 Festival week celebrating Sonoma Plein Air's 20th year was one for the record books - stay tuned for news about 2023! Our generous donors celebrated under a full September moon in the oak grove site of our very first gala in 2002. During a week of historic heat, our artists painted amazing local scenes to display on a perfect fall day at the Art Show & Sale on Sonoma Plaza. Excellent sales and happy artists and patrons culminated in a fund raising success for this year's Sonoma Plein Air Foundation grants program. Read on to see where the Festival funds raised are going to foster student creativity this current school year... Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board awards grants to public schools and local arts community partners for 2022-23 school year. On the heels of a very successful 2022 Sonoma Plein Air Festival in September, the Board began the next process of allocating funds raised by reviewing and approving grant requests from schools and community partners across Sonoma Valley. With over $150,000 raised thanks to the generosity of our patrons, donors, artists and art buyers, the Board approved grants in early November 2022 to 14 schools & non-profit organizations for programs and supplies to support K-12 arts in education and creativity development for our Sonoma Valley children and youth for this school year. Recipients list follows below. Student projects and Art Shows popped up around Sonoma this year funded by Sonoma Plein Air Festival patrons Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Grant recipients for the current school year are listed below for your reference. Grantees came to us with wonderful ideas and goals! You can visit our website for details on each grant. Elementary Schools: Sassarini, Sonoma Charter School, Woodland Star Charter School,  El Verano & Flowery Schools under program grants to Art Escape Middle Schools: Adele Harrison and Altimira High Schools: Sonoma Valley High School Creekside High School Community Partners: Art Escape  Arts Guild of Sonoma Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Sonoma Community Center Sonoma Plein Air is here to help students experience creative ways of thinking through art. Art empowers a student to become stronger and build confidence that can last a lifetime. Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

August 2022

Count Down to Sonoma Plein Air Festival ...

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View this email in your browser There will be a wide variety of volunteer opportunities at the Sonoma Plein Art Show & Sale at the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday,September 10. As a volunteer you will benefit as well by participating in one of the most fun & beautiful fundraisers in Sonoma Valley. You will meet nationally acclaimed talented artists, see glorious plein air paintings and talk to art enthusiasts from the Bay Area and beyond. Anyone who is interested can help! SIGN UP TO BE A VOLUNTEER Last Call for Gala Tickets! On Friday, September 9, we will come full circle and gather at a beautiful private Sonoma vineyard - the site of our very first Sonoma Plein Air Gala in 2002. We'll celebrate in the open air, surrounded by heritage oaks under the Sonoma sky. Details and a very limited number of tickets for this extra-special event are now available on our website. GET TICKETS NOW Put these dates in your calendar!  Tuesday, September 6: Quick Draw Event at the Farmer's Market Plein Air artists set up easels around the Plaza on Farmer's Market Tuesday and have 90 minutes to complete a painting, frame and display it for immediate sale. Visitors watch the artists paint and can acquire their favorite on the spot! 5 p.m. Artists paint around square - walk around and watch them paint 6:30 p.m. Artists bring paintings to plaza for framing and pricing  6:45 p.m. Painting sale begins of SE quadrant of Plaza 7:00 p.m. Sale ends Saturday, September 10: Art Show and Sale on Sonoma Plaza, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ​  FREE ADMISSION to the art show, artists demonstrations, live music and hands-on art activities for children of all ages. Purchase a painting and support arts education! 11:00 am Painting Demonstration - Keith Wicks 1:00 pm Painting Demonstration - Camille Przewodek Thank you to our sponsors and partners! Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

July 2022

Featured Artists at Sonoma Plein Air Festival

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The 20th Anniversary Sonoma Plein Air Festival View this email in your browser Meet Carol, Geoff and Randall... Carol Devereaux, Geoff Allen and Randall Stauss are among the acclaimed artists who will join us in September for the Sonoma Plein Air Art Show & Sale - other artists participating include some new names and many long-time favorites. Carol Devereaux Carol Devereaux, originally from Memphis, Tennessee, is a figurative and landscape painter living in Dallas, Texas. Her preferred mediums are oil and pastel, she enjoys working from life and "en plein air" finding inspiration in the patterns of light touching and defining form.    Carol tells us that plein air painting has brought much joy into her life. She is widely traveled and has painted across the United States, New England, Tennessee, to Florida beaches, New Mexico, Colorado to California. Being able to travel abroad to paint in France and Cuba were special experiences. Painting in Sonoma County will open up a wide range of new vistas - from the hills and valleys to the river and coast. We are looking forward to seeing her artistic interpretations of our countryside! "When I set up to paint, I am stationary for a few hours.  This allows observation of not only location, but of the nature surrounding.  I’m often visited not only by various curious people but by animals, including many squirrels, chipmunks, and of course bugs (which I could do without!). I’ve had dolphins surface and play while painting on the beach, cows and donkeys approach to check me out. In Colorado, elk herds have run past on their way to water. The most frightening, I had two coyotes run past at arm’s length, on their way to join their group hunt. Thankfully I wasn’t on their menu! Everyday painting plein air is a great day, whether or not my painting turns out, I’m having fun, smiling and pushing paint!" Visit website Geoff Allen Geoff Allen joins us from a coastal town north of San Diego, and the boatyards of Southern California offer him great opportunity and inspiration. Will he head to Bodega and the Sonoma Coast to paint? We are excited to find out! "As an artist, plein air painting allows my art to showcase two of my greatest passions:  my enthusiasm for the outdoors and the beauty of watercolor.  Plein air painting both lends focus to my work while promoting spontaneity.  While I have worked in many media, for me watercolor is the most immediate.  By embracing the water's independence, I find that it is both medium and metaphor, and at times both a curse and a blessing.  I love that aspect of art making- something that is out of my control and a challenge.  My journey in watercolor is to learn how to conjure the water into abstraction, in other words to allow the water to do the work." Geoff was the featured artist in Summer 2022 edition of Watercolor Artist magazine. Visit website Randall Stauss Randall Stauss’s paintings have captured life on the West Coast for over 40 years. A third generation Oregonian, Randall began drawing and painting at an early age, studying at the Portland Art Museum, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. '"I am both a studio and plein air painter.  But truth be told, it is plein air that is the crown jewel. Seemingly endless benefits befall the outdoor artist, not the least of which is an expanded sense of presence at the place one has so carefully and intuitively chosen." What places will he chose in Sonoma? We look forward to find out in September! Visit website The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization and 40 percent of each painting's purchase price is a donation to support arts and creativity education for youth in the public schools and community organizations in Sonoma Valley. Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

May 2022

Keith Wicks and the Sonoma Plein Air Story

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View this email in your browser May 2022 Artist Keith Wicks shares the origin story of Sonoma Plein Air. “Dad, we don’t have art in class.” When Keith Wicks’ young daughter announced that her Sonoma public school had art just once a month, by a teacher who visited all the schools with boxes of crayons and craft materials, he said, “Well, that’s not right, because I had art every day in school, and that’s why I am an artist!” And then he did something about it.   In the early 2000s, funding for arts programs were minimal, and Keith knew that if he (and other like-minded parents and community members) wanted art in schools, the task at hand was to reach out to the community and fund it themselves.   As a signature member of the California Art Club, Keith was experienced at attending Plein Air events in Southern California, and knew he could put on an event in Sonoma to raise money, but he needed funding to get the idea off the ground.   Here was the pitch: “Listen, I’m going to bring a whole bunch of talented artists to our town, and we are going to paint the landscape for a week. We are going to create all this work and then we’re going to do one big one day sale. And then we’ll use all that money and fund all the art programs in the schools.”  Community members responded with their checkbooks.   Judy Vadasz thought that was a great idea, offered seed money and helped create the first Sonoma Plein Air Festival in 2002. Her founding partnership encouraged volunteers and patrons throughout Sonoma Valley to join the cause. A casual fundraising event was held in her family’s vineyard – an event that will come full circle – this time with a 20th anniversary gala dinner at the Vadasz estate on September 9. Filmmaker John Lasseter, who was a collector of Keith’s art, said he would get involved – inspired by a parent who was an art teacher. He underwrote the printing of sets of notecards featuring paintings by all the participating artists. Half the artists participating in the first festival came from Pixar Studios where John was, at that time, chief creative officer. He gave them all a week off from work to be a part of the first Sonoma Plein Air. One of those artists was Paul Kratter, who loved the experience so much, he became a full-time plein air painter. Paul has been a regular at Sonoma Plein Air ever since.   Keith invited artists he had met at other festivals and some of the best artists in the country agreed to make the trip. Housing was offered by generous host families – a tradition that carries forward to this day. Keith created an atmosphere of camaraderie, not competition, between artists. Unlike other art festivals, there is only one award, with a small monetary prize and bragging rights. The “Artists’ Choice Award” is one where peers choose what they believe is the best painting of the week. Each artist selects their personal best and presents it for silent auction at the Friday night gala. All the remaining paintings are brought to the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday for the one day show and sale, attended by locals and art collectors throughout the Bay Area and beyond. The artists who are selected by jury each year for Sonoma Plein Air gladly support that 40% of the sales price of their work goes to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation which distributes all the funds to arts education in the community. Each year, the all-volunteer board distributes grants to elementary schools, middle schools, the high school, charter schools, the Sonoma Community Center, The Arts Guild, Art Escape and the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.   Since 2002, the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has raised over $1.7 million dollars to fund arts education. We are passionate about our mission to ensure every student has access to art in every grade. For more information on attending this year’s gala event and festival, please visit SonomaPleinAir.com. Bartholomew Estate Winery will be featuring a solo exhibit of the work of Sonoma Plein AIr Founder Keith Wicks this week. A portion of the proceeds from art sales from this exhibit will be donated to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation.  If you are in Sonoma, be sure to stop by! Watch a video interview with Keith about the show. We couldn't be prouder of Sonoma Plein Air Board member Pat Meier-Johnson! She was selected the 2022 Treasure Artist in the City of Sonoma. A reception is being held in her honor June 9 at Vintage House. CLICK FOR DETAILS Join us at the Festival! Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

April 2022

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View this email in your browser April 2022 "Art has a value that doesn't test the same way that math and science do...I took as many art classes as I could but I actually did better in my other subjects as well because I was so happy."                                                             – Chester Arnold, Artist, Sonoma, CA We are passionate about our mission to ensure every student has access to art in every grade. One reason why? Research shows that students who study creativity and the arts have higher test scores across the board in every subject area.  The past two years have presented major challenges in educating public school students at all grade levels, in all subjects. Our steadfast goal is to ensure teachers and local arts organizations have access to funds to support art education in and outside the classrooms. In this newsletter, meet the artists who help make this possible by designating 40% of their art sales during the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, and enjoy watching the inspiring Chester Arnold, who offers his take on why art is so important for children. Meet the Artists of Sonoma Plein Air 2022!   It's the 20th anniversary of Sonoma Plein Air and we are delighted to invite new artists and returning favorites. Here are the juried artists who will join us in September: Najeeb Abdulrahimin Geoff Allen Marc Anderson Richard Boyer Allen Brockbank Steve Curry Carol Devereaux Vlad Duchev Mark Farina Philippe Gandiol Eric Fe Guan Debra Huse Paul Kratter Richard Lindenberg Carolyn Lindsey Sergio Lopez Carolyn Lords David Marty Wayne McKenzie Alison Leigh Menke Niles Nordquist D.K. Palacek Anton Pavlenko Camille Przewodek Chuck Pyle David Savellano Brain SIndler W. Jason Situ Lisa Skelly Randall Stauss Robert G. Steele Barbara Tapp Kim VanDerHoek Keith Wicks Richard Yang Jing Zhao Dennis Ziemienski Please visit our website for full-size images and links to each artist's website! GO TO SONOMA PLEIN AIR WEBSITE Our Video Series: The Community Speaks How Art Can Influence A Life Art in school makes a difference in people’s lives, and in the third of our video series, The Community Speaks, we meet Chester Arnold, Sonoma Treasure Artist and longtime art instructor whose work is currently featured in a retrospective "Reports to the Contrary: A Persistent Vision" at the Fresno Art Museum. See the full video Join us at the Festival! Are you interested in volunteering at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival? There are a variety of opportunities available - from set-up, being an artist's show assistant and more. Please email us at [email protected] and write FESTIVAL VOLUNTEER in the subject line. Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

March 2022

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View this email in your browser The artist jurying is complete - and in just a few weeks we will be able to release the names of all participating artists in the 20th anniversary Sonoma Plein Air Festival! Our all-volunteer foundation is busy planning the events and keeping in touch with our grant recipients. Read on for the heartwarming comments from the kids who benefit from the programs our donors fund, and watch a video from a Sonoma public school graduate who built a life around his art. Sonoma Plein Air teams with Art Escape to keep art alive during challenging times... Flowery School Art Experiences Flourish Though pandemic distancing restrictions reduced the number of students that could participate, Art Escape was able to schedule classes in October, Novmeber and December 2021 for Flowery's After School Wednesday program. Third through fifth graders joined in two-hour sessions filled with diverse art projects. In fall, students participated in printmaking, bookbinding, collage and more. Through the generous support of Sonoma Plein Air donors, these classes are now scheduled throughout the school year! Sonoma Teens Explore Art in the City During pandemic restrictions, teems everywhere have been seriously impacted by the loss of socialization and independence. Sonoma Plein Air provided the primary funding for two field trips of 10 Sonoma teens each to the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. Here’s what some of the participants had to say:   "This trip was cool and special. It was my first time going to the city and now I know how different it is from Sonoma. I also made some new friends that I've never met before."   "It was the BEST day ever. I got to know new people who ended up being new friends. I also have a new favorite painting."    "My favorite part of today was walking around the museum. I loved it because of all of the different types of art we got to see. Lunch was also amazing, and it was fun to talk with new friends."    "Going to the art museum in the city was an amazing experience. I enjoyed the car ride and seeing all the fabulous artwork.”    "I think if Art Escape gets the funding they should do a trip like this again!  It was really cool being able to go around the city and museum. I would never have had the chance to go there without this trip. Thank you so much for inviting and including me in this super awesome experience!"    A special thanks to all our donors who make experiences like this possible. Our Video Series: The Community Speaks CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO How Art Can Influence A Life Art in school makes a difference in people’s lives, and in the second of our video series, The Community Speaks, we meet local businessman and artisan Steve Chiurco, who designs and fabricates custom metalwork projects. Influenced by a couple of wonderful art teachers in junior high and high school in Sonoma, Steve created Steel Geisha Designs  with his wife, Anastatia, in 2006. Steve is a firm believer in the importance of arts education for kids. He told us, “I was better at using my hands than my mind, and then eventually got better at using my mind over my hands.” He added, “When you are happy doing something, it just seems that other opportunities, like making money at it, may fall into place.”  See the full video   Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

February 2022

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View this email in your browser SAVE THE DATE! SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th The 20th Anniversary Sonoma Plein Air Festival Art Show & Sale Sonoma Plaza Dear Friends, In 2022, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sonoma Plein Air Festival! The support of generous donors, art buyers and artists have allowed us to fund $1.7 million dollars of arts education for public school students in Sonoma Valley. The impact on students is profound. Read on as Middle School Art Teacher Cheryl Coldiron shares her student work, and is interviewed about the importance of art in our schools. I wanted to let you know about our most recent art project at Adele and Altimira MIddle Schools. We just completed a multi-day integrated curriculum project about Endangered Species. Students were given time to research an animal of their choice; then conduct additional research about what the animal looks like, their habitat, what they eat, how and where they live, unusual facts, an so on. They were taught how to create a mini-book, where they wrote about their animal and drew small illustrations on the pages. Finally, using earlier lessons about color and composition, they created their Endangered Species Painting. (All students are eligible to enter their paintings in a National Contest as well). Thank you very much for the funding to purchase the painting paper, paint supplies, brushes and more! Sincerely, Cheryl Coldiron Art Teacher CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

​August 2021

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In Sonoma, we are well-attuned to the impact the pandemic has had on tourism and how wineries and restaurants have pivoted to different business models. While less visible, the arts and cultural sector of the economy may have been hit the hardest of all – not only have artists lost employment but people have lost in-person access to cultural events.   In June, we received full permission from the City of Sonoma to plan the Sonoma Plein Air Art Show and Sale on the Plaza. With safety top-of-mind, our all-volunteer board is hard at work planning and promoting the events, hosts are readying accommodations for the artists, and 34 nationally-renowned artists will soon be on their way to Sonoma for a week to paint the natural beauty of the area.    Now, more than ever, is the time to support artists, the arts and art education!   Put these events in your calendar! Quick Draw at the Farmer’s Market: Tuesday, September 7 Gala Dinner and Auction at Jacuzzi Vineyards: Friday, September 10 Art Show and Sale in Sonoma Plaza; Saturday, September 11 Important Information about the 2021 Sonoma Plein Air Gala   The evolving nature of COVID means we will continually monitor the latest medical advice and protocols so we can come together at Jacuzzi Vineyards in a gala setting in about 6 weeks. For now, this means we will require that all gala attendees are fully vaccinated. Following restaurant models, meals will be individually plated and service staff will have shown proof of vaccination and wear masks. Dining tables will be appropriately spaced and, as always, we will do our best to honor all dinner seating arrangements.   We hope this will give you the confidence to join us for this all-important fundraiser. In past years, the gala has raised 60% of the annual funds for the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation. The youth of Sonoma Valley are headed back to the classroom – some for the first time in over a year of distance learning. What kind of learning environment do we want for them? One that is safe, supportive, engaging and challenging. One that prepares them for adulthood with an appreciation for creative expression. They need our support to keep art education alive – because the arts nourish all our hearts and souls. Thank you! The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board of Directors Cathy Good & Cheryl Shimek, Co-Presidents Barbara Wells, Treasurer Pat Meier-Johnson, Secretary Keith Wicks, Founder Gerry Brinton, Irene Cook, Gretchen Gardner, Judy Hallden, Ellen Hoover, Nancy Evers Kirwan, Nikki Parr, Nancy Pollock, Linda Rosso, Dana Simpson-Stokes   ORDER GALA TICKETS NOW We will follow the most up-to-date requirements provided by the City and County of Sonoma with regards to physical distancing and numbers of people permitted in the Sonoma Plaza art show area at any one time. Currently, masks are not required outdoors for vaccinated people. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for SONOMA PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL EVENTS! Week of September 6-11 Distribute marketing materials around town, set-up and take-down, decorations, artists' assistants, and other fun jobs at an Artists' Reception, Quick Draw, Gala and Festival. CONTACT US ABOUT VOLUNTEERING! The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that funds youth art education in community organizations and public schools in Sonoma Valley. Forward this email to a Friend Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

July 2021

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Happy July! Before you head into the holiday weekend, we wanted to share the good news that Sonoma Plein Air 2021 is a GO! We are excited to be back to share art with the community and raise funds for art education in Sonoma Valley. We also want to introduce you to a talented young artist that reminds us why art is so important to young people, and how they can make a difference! This year's Sonoma Plein Air Gala theme is "Under the Sonoma Sky,"  inspired by this painting by Anton Pavlenko, the recipient of the 2019 Artists' Choice Award.  Join us on Friday, September 10th at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, where we will celebrate art and raise funds for art education for the youth of Sonoma Valley. Tickets are available on our website. The gala is a delightful celebration of art where art lovers mingle and dine and view the "best of the best" paintings created